7 Between Yesterday & Today - The Quran Blog

a) Political differences, partisanship, and struggle for supremacy and prestige, despite the strict prohibition against this inIslam, which calls for indifference with respect to positions of power and being attracted to it, which is like a cancer withinnationsand the death blow forit’speople:‘And contend not with one another, so that you become weak and your4strength depart,and persevere,for Allah is withthose who persevere.’, and despite the profound exhortations toremain faithful to Allah alone in speech and act, and to flee love of fame and praise.b) Differences in religion and schools of thought, and turning away from religion in both beliefs and actions leading to deadworks endowed with no spirit or life, accompanied by negligence towards Allah's Book and the Sunnah of the Apostle (PBUH)Leading to stagnation, fanaticism in thought and word, and a passion for disputation, controversy, and wrangling, All thesewere among the things Islam had warned against and forbidden most rigorously, so that the Apostle (PBUH) said: ‘No peoplehave ever ngintodisputes.’c) Self indulgence in luxuries and comforts, and craving for pleasure and sensual joys to the point that what has been recordedof Muslim rulers in many periods goes beyond anything recorded of others, and this despite what they read in of the Words ofAllah (PBUH): ‘And when W e wish to destroy a city,W e issue a command toitsmen ofwealth,and they transgress5therein, and so the Word against them is justified, and We destroy it utterly.’d) The transfer of authority to non Arabs; Persians at one time, at another, the Mamluks, Turks, and others who had never hada taste of genuine Islam, and whose hearts had never been illuminated with the light of the Qur'an because of the difficultythey encountered in trying to grasp its concepts, even though they read the Words of Allah (SWT): ‘O yewho believe!Do nottake as confidants those who are not of you; they will not fail to cast disorder among you; they are pleased bywhat troubles you. Hatred has been revealed out of their mouths; what their hearts conceal is yet greater. We6havemadethesignscleartoyou,ifyou would butunderstand.’e) Indifference to the applied and natural sciences, all the while wasting time and loosing energy on abstruse, speculativephilosophies and unhealthy, imaginary pseudo sciences, despite Islam's urging them to consider the universe, to explore thesecrets of creation, and to travel about in the earth, for it commands them to contemplate the Kingdom of Allah: ‘Say:7"Behold whatisintheheavensand theearth."’f)Arrogance ofthe governmentregarding it’sauthority,selfdeception astoit’spower,and a failuretolook intothe socialevolution ofthe nationsoutsideit’sfold,untilsuch nationstook the lead in preparation and equipment, eventually taking theIslamic state by surprise.4567(Surah-al-Anfaal (8), ayah 46)(Surah-al-Israa’(17),ayah16)(Surah-aal-Imran (3), ayah 118)(Surah-Yunus (10), ayah 102)

But the Qur'an had commanded them to be alert, and had warned them about the consequences of negligence, regarding thenegligent as cattle, nay, even more deluded: ‘ForW e have surely created forJahannam many jinn and men,havinghearts with which they discern not, having eyes with which they see not, having ears with which they hear not8thesearelikecattle,nay,even moredeluded;thesearetheheedless.’g) Self deception through the charms of hostile flatterers, admiration for their actions and their apparent lifestyles, and blindimitation of them in what is harmful rather than beneficial, even though resembling them has been strictly prohibited whileremaining different to them, preserving the basic elements of the Islamic Ummah, and warning about the consequences of thisimitation are clear cut commands, to which effect the Noble Qur'an says: ‘O ye who believe!Ifyou obey those who9disbelieve, they will throw you backupon yourheels,and you willbeturned intolosers.’Political StruggleAssaults on the Islamic StateThese factors began to operate within the substance of the Islamic state and the Ummah as a whole, suppressed nationsthought that the time was ripe to take their revenge and bring to ruin the very Islamic state which had earlier conquered theirlands and changed their entire way of life. The Tartars swept across the Islamic state like a devastating flood, tearing it apartpiece by piece such asidKhilafah,theytrampleditanddisgracedtheKhalifah , Al-Musta’sim.Thustheunityofthestateand theknotoftheKhilafah wasundoneforthefirsttime.Thenationsfellapart into small Mumineen. Europe saw the resurgence of Christianity,whose forces gathered and hurled back the Muslim East in both Asia and Africa through nine crusading assaults, in which thebest of their cavalry, royalty, and arms were deployed. These invading forces were able to establish a Crusader state inJerusalem, threatening the Islamic nations of the East and West, and attacking Egypt - the most powerful of these states atthat time.RevivalBut Allah (SWT) did not allow falsehood to vanquish truth. Egypt was able to draw together the scattered forces of some ofthese minor states, and hurl them at the necks of the Crusaders, under the leadership of Salah-ud-Din. It regained Jerusalemfrom the Christians, and showed them the meaning of defeat at Hitteen. Then Egypt stood in the face of the Tartars under theleadership of Alzahir Baybars, throwing them back on their heels, at Ayn Jalut, and restoring the lines of the Khilafah onceagain. It was the will of Allah that an Islamic state re-emerge, extensive in domain, bold in courage, and formidable in power,welding its people into one and uniting most of the Islamic nations under its Imran (3), ayah 149)

Its lofty ambitions meant that an attack on Christianity in its very lair was crucial. Thus It conquered Constantinople, and itsauthority extended to the heart of Europe reaching as far as Vienna. This came the state of the Ottoman Turks.Fruits of the Renaissance in EuropeThe Islamic state was tranquil under the banner and authority of the Ottomans, it remained passive was heedless of what washappening around it. But Europe, which had come into contact with the light of Islam in the West through Andalus, and in theEast through the Crusades, wasted no opportunity and did not fail to benefit from these lessons. It began to build up and uniteher forces under the banner of the Franks in the land of Gaul, where it was able to stem the tides of an onslaught against theIslamic West and sow dissension within the ranks of the Muslims in Andalus, employing people to fall upon others, until finally itdrove them overseasback tothe African coast.The young Spanish statetook it’splace,asEurope continued to build up itstrength, to unite, to plan, to acquire knowledge, to traverse foreign lands, and to discover new countries, such that Americawas discovered by Spain and the route to India by Portugal. Cries for reform followed swiftly in each state within Europe.Numerous reformers arose, while natural science and fruitful, productive knowledge was eagerly embraced. The Reformationresulted in the creation of a number of nationalities and the rise of a strong state - it’ssolepurposetodismembertheIslamicstate, which Europe had already shared among its nations and whose place it had taken control of in Asia and Africa. Theseyoung states formed alliances for this purpose, which at times rose to the level of sacred pactsA New AttackEuropean power expanded, thanks to discoveries, expeditions, and travels to far and distant lands as far as many of the remoteIslamic countries like India, as well some of the neighboring Islamic provinces. Europe began to work earnestly atdismembering the powerful and far flung Islamic state proposing numerous plans toward this end, referring to them at times as‘theEastern question’and atothersas‘dividing up theinheritanceoftheSickMan ofEurope’.Everystatebegan to seizeanyopportunity as it arose, adopting the flimsiest of excuses to attack the peaceful yet careless Islamic state, and to reduce itsperiphery or demolish parts of its integral fabric. This onslaught continued over a long period of time, during which the cco and North Africa.Many non Islamic areas previously under Ottoman rule became independent during this time, e.g., Greece and the Balkanstates. The final round of this struggle was the First World War, from 1914 to 1918, which ended in the defeat of Turkey andher allies, providing a perfect opportunity for the strongest nations of Europe, (England and France, and under their patronage,Italy). They laid their hands on the huge legacy left behind by the Islamic nations, imposing their rule over them under thevarious titles of occupation, colonialism, trusteeship or mandate dividing them up in the following manner:1) North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis) became French colonies lying in between a zone of international influence inTangier and a Spanish colony in the Reef.

2) Tripoli and Barca became Italian colonies in which Italy did not wish a single trace of Islam to remain. It forced ilies and wild beasts inhuman form (Italian outcasts).3) Egypt and the Sudan fell under English authority, neither one possessing a shred of independent authority.4) Palestine became an English colony, which England took the liberty of selling to the Jews so that they might establish thereina national Zionist homeland.5) Syria became a French colony.6) Iraq became an English colony.7) The Hijaz possessed a weak, unstable government dependent on charity and clinging to false treaties and worthlesscovenants.8) Yemen possessed an outmoded government and a poverty stricken populace exposed to attack anywhere and at any time.9) The remaining nations of the Arabian peninsula consisted of small emirates whose rulers lived under the wing of the Britishconsuls and who fought one another for the crumbs falling from their tables, their souls burning with mutual resentment andhatred. This was the case despite the reassuring promises and binding treaties drawn up by the Allies with the mightiestmonarch of the Peninsula, King Hussain, stating that they would help him achieve the Arab independence and support theauthority of the Arab Khilafah.10) Iran and the Afghanistan possessed shaky governments beset by power hungry people on every side, they would be underthe wing of one nation at one time and under that of another at other times.11) India was an English colony.12) Turkestan and the adjoining regions were Russian colonies, subjected to the bitter harshness of the Bolshevik authorities.Apart from these, there were also the Islamic minorities scattered across many countries, knowing no state to whose protectionthey might have recourse, nor any well armed government to defend their nationality, as the Muslims in Ethiopia, China, theBalkans, and the lands of Central, South, East and West Africa. Under such conditions, Europe won in the political struggle, andfinally accomplished its goal in dismembering the Islamic empire, annihilating the Islamic state and erasing it politically, fromthe list of powerful, living nations.

Return to PowerHowever this flagrant hostility and contempt for treaties and covenants tormented men's hearts and aroused their spirits. Thesenations began to demand their independence and struggled to regain their freedom and glory. Towards this end, revolts flaredup within their borders: Turkey revolted, Egypt revolted, Iraq and Syria revolted, while repeated revolts took place in Palestineand the Reef in Morocco. Every where people began to stir, and as a result the Islamic people regained some of their rights.Turkey became independent within her new frontiers, Egypt and Iraq were recognized as sovereign states, the Saudi state rosein the Hijaz and Najd, while, Yemen, Iran, and Afghanistan preserved their already existing independence, Syria came close towinning recognition of her independence. Palestine drew the attention of the world to itself through its struggle. The Muslims,without any doubt, took significant steps, even if they were few and slow, towards the noble goal of restoring their freedom andglory and rebuilding their state. With each nation demanding its right to freedom as an independent entity, concepts oflocalized nationalism arose, and many states working towards this revival purposely ignored the idea of unity. Without a doubtthe outcome the of these steps will result in the consolidation and return of the Islamic empire as a unified state embracing theMuslims that have been scattered around the World, raising the banner of Islam and carrying its message. There is no nation inthe world that is held together by linguistic unity, participation in material and spiritual interests, and similarity of suffering andhope in the same that the Muslims are.A New WarThe European nations emerged from the First World War with the seeds of rancor and hatred deeply implanted within many ofthem. The peace conference took place and the ensuing treaties were sharp slaps in the face to some and painfully, falseexpectations to many others; furthermore, many new concepts and ideologies, strongly fanatical, made their appearance. Sucha situation will inevitably lead to renewed opposition and a terrible, devastating war which would tear these nations asunderand end their unity, bringing them back to their senses and deterring them from injustice. It will give the Islamic nationsanother opportunity to straighten their ranks, to unite, and finally achieve their freedom and independence, thus regaining theirstate and their unity under the leadership of the Amir Al Mumineen: ‘And We desired to show favor to those who had10been rendered weakintheearth,and to makethem leadersand makethem inheritors.’.Social StruggleA New CivilizationThe European nations, which had socialized and had come into contact with Islam and Muslims (due to their Crusades in theEast, and their proximity to the Arabs of Andalus in the West), not only benefited from this in terms of a heightened awareness,cohesion, and political unification; but also in terms of a great intellectual awakening, acquiring numerous sciences and10(Surah-al-Qasas (28), ayah 5)

branches of knowledge. A scientific and cultural Renaissance, vast in scope, made its appearance, and the Church with all thestrength at its command rose to combat this strange phenomenon. It subjected their scholars and intellectuals to the mosthorrific punishments: the courts of The Inquisition waged war upon them and aroused the wrath of the people against them.But this accomplished nothing, its teachings could not stand up in front of scientific realities and discoveries. The scientificRenaissance emerged victorious, and the state thereby awoke and it too fought the Church until it completely deliveredEuropean society from Church authority. Its men were driven into the shrine and the cloister, the Pope was confined to theVatican, and the work of the clergy was limited and their efforts were confined. Christianity remained in Europe, but only toserve as a historical heirloom. It was an instrument for educating the simple minded and naive among the masses, and amechanism for conquest, colonization, and the suppression of political aspirations. The domain of science stretched out beforeEurope, and the scope of invention and discovery broadened. The machine doubled production and industrialized life. All thispreceded hand in hand with the rise of the strong state, whose authority reached out across many lands and regions. The worldeagerlywelcomedtheEuropean nationsandchosethem asit’ssustainers.Wealth pouredoutfrom itin everydirection.Itwasonly natural then, that European life and culture should be based on excluding religion from all aspects of social life, especiallythe state, the law court, and the school; with a predominant materialistic outlook becoming the criterion for everything. As aresult, the make-up of this civilization became purely materialistic, demolishing what the revealed religions had advocated andutterly contradicting the principle ofuniting the spiritualand the materialwhich Islam had laid as the foundation ofit’scivilization. Among the most important traits of European civilization are the following:1) Apostasy, doubt in Allah, denial of the soul, disregard as to reward or punishment in the world to come, and an obsession tolimit themselves to only that which is material and tangible: ‘Theyknow something externalofthe life �2) Lust, unseemly dedication to pleasure, new ways of self indulgence, uncontrolled freedom of the lower instincts and bodilydesires, the equipment of women with every technique of seduction and incitement, and the drowning into wicked practiceswhich shatter both mind and body, destroying the integrity of the family and threatening the happiness of the home: ‘Those12who disbelieve take their enjoymentand eatascattleeat,and theFireistheirdwelling place.’3) Individual greed, for every man wants any thing good only for himself; Greed also exists in the social strata, for each stratawants to gain the upper hand over the other and seeks to secure profits for itself. Finally there is greed on a national level, foreach nation is prejudiced towards its own nationality, while looking down on all others, and trying to engulf those who areweaker.4) Usury, granting it legal recognition, regarding it as a principle of general transactions, and making it a general practiceamong nations and individuals.1112(Surah-ar-Rum (30), ayah 7)(Surah-Muhammad (47), ayah 12)

These purely materialistic traits of European society have corrupted the spirit, devalued morality, and made them sluggish inthe war against crime, all this and the problems have multiplied, destructive ideologies have made their appearance,devastating and damning revolutions have burst forth, economic, social, and political institutions no longer stand on firmfoundations. Nations have been torn en peopletocuteach others’throats. This modern civilization has substantiated its complete impotence in securing peace, tranquillity and safety withinsociety. It has failed to grant happiness to man, despite all the doors of science, knowledge, wealth and opulence it has leftopen for them, and despite the power and authority it enjoys throughout the earth, and even though it has not been inexistence for so much as a century.The Tyranny of Materialism On Muslim LandThe Europeans worked assiduously in trying to immerse (the world) in materialism, with their corrupting traits and murderousgerms, to overwhelm those Muslim lands that their hands stretched out to. Under their authority the Muslims suffered an illfate, for while they secured for themselves power and prosperity through science, knowledge, industry, and good organization,the Muslims were barred from all this. They laid the plans for this social turmoil in masterly fashion, invoking the aid of theirpolitical intellect and military might until they achieved their goal. They deluded the Muslim leaders by granting them loans andentering into financial transactions with them - An easy task which enabled them to infiltrate the economy and flood thecountry with their capital, t

Constantinople itself and the confined Christianity within the restricted area of Central Europe. Islamic fleets ventured into the depths of the Mediterranean and Red seas, both became Islamic la